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Topic: New Commemoration May Be Added to Episcopal Kalendar (Read 1060 times)

One of the things that the GC is considering is adding a commemoration of the 1st communion on the moon to the kalendar. This is from the legislation as proposed:

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Resolved, the House of _____ concurring, That this 74th General Convention promote local commemoration of the 35th anniversary of “The First Communion on the Moon,” July 20, 2004, in worship and teaching ; and be it further

Resolved, That this 74th General Convention direct the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music to prepare propers and collects for churchwide observance of the 40th anniversary of the event, July 20, 2009; and be it further

Resolved, That this General Convention direct the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music to prepare to include “The First Communion on the Moon” in the Episcopal Church’s Lesser Feasts and Fasts and on the calendar in the Book of Common Prayer for July 20.

Explanation: The first manned landing on the Moon by Apollo XI, July 20, 1969, is one of history's most significant events. Neil Armstrong's words, "That's one small step for man [sic]; one giant leap for mankind," are known by people worldwide. Less well known is what occurred immediately after landing at the Sea of Tranquility. Lunar Module pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin made an act of "thanksgiving": Holy Communion, from reserved sacrament. Aldrin, an Episcopal layman from St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Nassau Bay, TX, brought blessed bread and wine in his "personal kit." Due to political concerns, NASA kept this event "under wraps" for two decades.